Conservative Rock is, of course, an oxymoron. Rock and roll is meant to be a rebellious evolutionary art form, therefore the idea that it can be conservative or "classic" is self-defeating or self-negating. However, the Bruce Bartlett address that got several of these discussions started (I'll attribute Ben Domenech, where I first read of it) expressly mentions "Conservative Pop Music" not Rock -- Rock and Roll can be a subset of Pop music (or an intersecting set).

Barlett's criteria are interesting -- but it's what makes his list, in my opinion, a failure. The first and second are related: he looks to what is expressed by the lyric, not the person singing the lyric. Fair enough. Were the Beatles political conservatives or liberals? On the basis of Taxman, mentioned by both Bartlett and Domenech, conservative. But I doubt you'd find any of the fab four doing fundraisers for the Tories. However, these two criteria aren't the main problem -- the main problem is the third criterion: he limited himself "to songs that made Billboard’s Top 40 chart after 1955." This is why, in my continuing opinion, Ben's list is far superior to Bartlett's.

Before I continue, I'd like to echo the comments made by Charlie Murtaugh -- Barlett's inclusion of "'Sweet Home Alabama,' which basically endorses segregation and makes excuses for Watergate." Lynyrd Skynyrd's song was on its face reactionary to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man" In the first of these, Young sang of

Alabama, you got the weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back.

and he continues

Oh Alabama.
Can I see you and shake your hand.
Make friends down in Alabama.
I'm from a new land
I come to you and see all this ruin
What are you doing Alabama?
You got the rest of the union to help you along
What's going wrong?

I would hope my conservative friends would see these as conservative sentiments -- are they anti-conservative?

Southern Man, written and recorded earlier, I will acknowledge, is more incidiary, yet it begins

Southern man better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book said
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burning fast

Is there a problem with a call to temperance, a reliance on the Bible, a warning about cause and effect (personal responsibility -- isn't that a conservative virtue?)

However, and now I've gone off on a tangent, there are other rock songs that are out there that should be considered for inclusion on these lists -- I'll put a few up in the days to come.

Goodbye Senator. I will miss Senator Wellstone greatly, even though I would never vote for him. He was someone who was very true to his principles, and, although I disagreed with him strongly, admired him nonetheless for keeping his hand to the plow and not looking back. I have not been able to watch any TV lately and when I turned on "Public" radio they were in the middle of a pledge drive and had completely jettisoned any regular programming. Nevertheless, I imagine that the tributes will come from both sides of the aisle and that they will be heartfelt. He was the kind of opposition you would want -- someone who gave the very best and challenged every argument.

Normal. I stopped and got gas on the way home from work. Everyone was smiling and visibly relieved. The lady who pulled in behind me actually did a little twirl right behind her car after she got the gas going -- like Maria (Julie Andrews) at the opening of "The Sound of Music."

NFL Power Rankings. I've been having major problems with Blogger since last night. Posting this now -- assuming it doesn't crash like last time. I will post the introductory explanation and source links tomorrow.

	No.	Team	Cu.	Hi	Lo
	1	Saints	2.13	1	7
	2	Packers	2.75	1	5
	3	Broncos	3.88	1	6
	4	Chargers	4.38	2	11
	5	Eagles	5.13	1	8
	6	Dolphins	6.25	2	9
	7	Raiders	7	6	8
	8	Bucs	7	3	10
	9	49ers	7.38	3	9
	10	Bills	11.88	8	18
	11	Steelers	12.13	10	14
	12	Patriots	12.25	6	17
	13	Colts	12.63	10	15
	14	Cardinals	14.13	10	25
	15	Ravens	14.88	11	18
	16	Chiefs	16	13	19
	17	Jaguars	17	13	19
	18	Falcons	17.13	12	25
	19	Giants	19.75	18	23
	20	Rams	19.88	17	23
	21	Browns	21.13	20	24
	22	Cowboys	22.88	21	25
	23	Titans	23	20	26
	24	Bears	23.13	18	27
	25	Panthers	24.25	21	26
	26	Redskins	25.13	22	27
	27	Jets	27.25	25	29
	28	Lions	27.25	23	30
	29	Seahawks	28.63	27	29
	30	Vikings	29.75	27	31
	31	Texans	31	30	32
	32	Bengals	31.88	31	32

On the run. Had to stop by Home Depot tonight to make a return (lot's of visible security there, btw). My wife gave me a big kiss and wished me well -- in part a joke and in part serious. We're all jumpy around here -- I guess you'd have to be here to know how it is. The bus driver who was shot had just picked up some tickets last week from someone I work with. Another victim was a family friend of a different co-worker. As I indicated before, I've driven by those gas stations and streets where the shootings have taken place. Even the Ashland shooting -- that's a frequent stopping place on the trip back from my parents (although we generally go to the BK or Taco Bell or just stop to use the bathrooms at Cracker Barrel).

Design Changes. I did a conversion of my browser and wiped out all my bookmarks -- this helped me to realized that I haven't done an update of my links on the left. There are a number of blogs I visited pretty regularly that were in my bookmarks but aren't on the left. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you could leave me your blog cite in the comments or send me an email and I'll try and get things updated. Thanks!

Jesus Lived! Well, of course, says the orthodox Christian. Moreover, He Lives. It's a matter of faith, but also strong probability -- it's only the modern self-blinded skeptics that really doubt He lived.

Anyway, today there was a press conference in D.C. by Biblical Archaeological Review, indicating an ossuary held by a private collector featuring an Aramaic inscription, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." The BAR has confirmed that the relic is 2,000 years old. Here is the Christianity Today article.

Regrettably, or perhaps not, the ossuary contains no bones.

Something about this reminds me of one of my favorite stories:

It seems that back in the 1950s a team of Roman Catholic archaeologists conducting a dig in Jerusalem stumbled on the bones of Jesus and became convinced that indeed these were the bones of Jesus. Obviously, this was for them a horrifying discovery.

So they called up the pope to notify him that the bones of Jesus had been found. And the pope decided that this was a matter of such terrible ecumenical concern that he was going tohave to convene an ecumenical council. And he asked his advisers, "Who's the greatest living Protestant theologian?" And he was told it was Paul Tillich.

So the pope called up Tillich on the telephone, explained that the bones of Jesus had been found. There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

And finally Tillich said, "So then, he really did live."

Sniper News?. You may have heard that there has been an arrest (or arrests) of one or two men in the Richmond area and the seizure of a white van. There is a press conference scheduled for 1 pm (EDT) that will be carried live on the internet by WTOP radio.

Update For the record, this did not pan out.

VeggieTales. We took, let's see, four adults, three students, five children, and three infants to see Jonah this weekend. I'd say it was so-so. The visuals were great. It had one tremendous song, the gospel "Second Chances" performed by Anointed. [Here's an .mp3 clip] and one horrible song (because it's so catchy and so mindless): Billy Joe McGuffrey (and the Chris Rice with all 12 verses is even worse). But overall, I thought the story tended to drag a little and tended to be a little lacking in the humor and zaniness that is a trademark of the best VeggieTales videos.

BTW, if you see the movie in the theater, be sure to stick around for the Credits Song.

Football. So I'm sitting there watching the Redskin game yesterday and they show that Shannon Sharpe had 214 receiving yards and 2 TDs and I think "I wonder who the sap was that had to play against that guy [in the Blogger Bowl 2K3 fantasy league]." Turns out that I'm that sap and there goes my winning streak. Congratulations to Ellis Domenech, coach (I don't like to think of us as being "owners") of the Liberty City Diablos. Unfortunately, I got far too many points from LaDainian Tomlinson (39 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs) and not enough from Rod Smith. (I'm a Raider fan.)

I'm wondering what the Chargers need to do to get some respect -- they have a bye next week and then play the Jets, so going into Week 10 against the Rams they should only have one loss. That kicks off the rough part of their schedule -- following the Rams they play the 49ers, Dolphins, Broncos, and Raiders. Nevertheless, I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that had Snyder stuck with Marty the 'skins wouldn't have stopped using Stephen Davis in the 3rd Quarter (24 carries for 91 yards). The Redskins averaged 4.3 yards per rush attempt versus 3.1 yards per pass attempt.

More. The Redskins challenged the officials rulings twice yesterday and lost both times. However, there was an earlier call* that they should've challenged that would've been upheld. Patrick Ramsey brought his arm forward to pass and then brought the ball back in almost immediately after, GB stripped the ball from his grasp. Pursuant to the "Tuck Rule" (NFL Rule 3, Section 21, Article 2 Note 2):

When Team A player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.

In the play in question, Ramsey had "started a forward pass" and then attempted to bring it back in but had not made contact with his body yet -- that (body contact) is the operative fact that turns off the period in which ball is considered to be a pass and not a fumble if separated from the passer. (But see note 3, that attempting to recock the arm also turns off that metaphysical period.)

-----
* For those die-hard 'skins fans who want to check the tape, it occured with about 2 minutes left in the 3rd; 3d and 14 at Wash 37 -- the "fumble" was recovered by Nate Wayne.

Cover Watch. Love v. War. We're living in a Time of War -- al Qaeda is showing a new resurgence. Newsweek pins its hopes on Nirvana. Kurt's Dead.

Ps. 10. My daughter was struck by how Psalm 10 seemed to apply to our situation here with the sniper. Here is the translation (NLT) she was using:

Psalm 10

1
O LORD, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I need you the most?
2
Proud and wicked people viciously oppress the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3
For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the LORD.
4
These wicked people are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
5
Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They pour scorn on all their enemies.
6
They say to themselves, "Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!"
7
Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8
They lurk in dark alleys,
murdering the innocent who pass by.
They are always searching
for some helpless victim.
9
Like lions they crouch silently,
waiting to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture their victims
and drag them away in nets.
10
The helpless are overwhelmed and collapse;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11
The wicked say to themselves, "God isn't watching!
He will never notice!"
12
Arise, O LORD!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not forget the helpless!
13
Why do the wicked get away with cursing God?
How can they think, "God will never call us to account"?
14
But you do see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You are the defender of orphans.
15
Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed!
16
The LORD is king forever and ever!
Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land.
17
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.
18
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so people can no longer terrify them.

No Sniper News. No further attacks, which is good news, but no further leads, which is not. I drove to Occoquan yesterday to get gas on the way home -- it's just about 5 extra miles out of the way and gas prices are at least a dime a gallon cheaper. The gas stations are right off I-95, just about 20 miles north of the F'burg killings and 8 miles SE of the Manassas murder. So naturally, it was on my mind. I kept thinking is it worth it to save a buck and a half? I pulled into the Shell and surveyed the perimeter and thought where would be the best place to take a shot from? There's a KFC sitting on a hill overlooking the 2-3 gas stations in the area -- it has easy access to 95. No one there -- I'll take my chance and gas up.

I told an old friend of mine about it last night and he didn't laugh at all -- he said he does the same thing. His comments have weight -- his job is as a sniper for the Secret Service. We talked a little more -- he didn't say much -- he really can't.

Another lady said that the homecoming game for her son's High School has been moved to Charlottesville -- they're going to bus both teams down and have busses for the students as well. My nephew, a freshman had his homecoming game cancelled, but the dance will go on, under tight security. We're going to have a party for my daughter tomorrow, we're planning on taking a group of 5 and 6 year olds to a movie theater to see Jonah -- but are having second thoughts -- the primary theater we were going to go to is about 2 miles from the scene of the Manassas shooting.

I don't think anyone is overreacting -- I thought so when my co-workers lined up for cipro shots last year (my work uses the same post office as the Senate, so we received authorization from the government for the shots). If you think I am, please drop me a line or leave a comment.

Rosary. For those of us who look askance at the practice of praying the rosary, Peggy Noonan has a good article and an explanation of the announcement from the Vatican implementing a major change. I first heard about the announcement from Peter Sean Bradley -- but didn't understand the meaning.

Vegan? I got the latest copy of Scientific American in the mail yesterday. Flipping through it late last night I came across an article about a new order of insect, the Gladiator, or Mantophasmatodea. What caught my eye, however was this item from "An Order is Born," a sidebar:

Powerful mandibles are evidence of a carnivorous lifestyle. Most grasshoppers and walkingsticks are vegans.

Wha?

Back when I was in school (admittedly closer in time to Carl Linnaeus) we distinguished carnivores and herbivores. So when did grasshoppers become vegans?

According to vegan.com,

Q. Where did the word vegan come from?

A. A shortened version of "vegetarian," the word "vegan" was coined in the 1940s by a vegetarian society in England to distinguish members who chose to consume absolutely no products derived from animals.

Moreover,

Q. What is a vegan?

A. By definition, a vegan (most commonly pronounced VEE-gun) is a person who does not eat animal products, including meat, fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy. But veganism is more about what people choose than about what they avoid. For example, vegans demonstrate respect for all life — their own, the planet's, and the animals' — not only by eating plant-based foods, but also by choosing nonfood items (such as nonleather shoes) that are produced without animal byproducts. Many vegans also go out of their way to choose cosmetics and personal care items that do not contain animal byproducts and are not tested on animals.

Granted, grasshoppers do not wear leather birkenstocks, nevertheless, I don't think they give a flip about animal byproducts.

Kathy Ireland on abortion.

"Is it all right for the government to allow the murder of an innocent human being? The evidence I see tells me the unborn is a human being. From the moment of conception, a new life comes into being with a complete genetic blueprint. The sex is determined. The blood type is determined."

The whole article, including much of the discussion can be found here, as well as a similar discussion from Patricia Heaton.

Cumulative Power Ratings. There is a large handful of attempts to rank the teams in the NFL, as is done with college football. Here is my attempt to bring them together. I'm combining the ESPN, CNNSI, TSN, War Room, Sports Central, Sagarin (USA Today), CBS, and AP index or ratings into one cumulative list. I've also include a teams high and low from the different list. Sticking this on a spread sheet is very easy -- translating it into HTML tables is, well, interesting. We'll see if this works:

It didn't work -- I'm trying something else. That didn't work either. How about plain old ASCII:
No.__Team_______Cumulative__Hi__Lo
1___Dolphins_______1.62_____1____4
2___Raiders________3.25_____2____5
3___Bucs___________3.75_____1____7
4___Broncos________4.88_____2___10
5___Saints_________5.12_____2____9
6___Packers________5.62_____2____8
7___49ers__________6.62_____4____9
8___Eagles_________7.38_____1___10
9___Chargers_______8.62_____7___15
10__Colts__________9.25_____6___11
11__Patriots______12.00 ____7___15
12__Jaguars_______12.62____11___15
13__Chiefs________12.88____10___16
14__Bills_________14.75____11___21
15__Steelers______15.88____11___19
16__Cardinals_____16.00____11___25
17__Ravens________17.12____14___20
18__Bears_________18.25____13___22
19__Falcons_______19.75____12___25
20__Cowboys_______20.12____15___26
21__Giants________20.75____16___25
22__Panthers______21.38____16___25
23__Redskins______22.88____18___27
24__Rams__________23.38____19___26
25__Titans________23.50____21___27
26__Browns________24.12____21___26
27__Seahawks______27.12____26___28
28__Vikings_______28.75____27___31
29__Jets__________29.00____28___31
30__Lions_________29.12____25___31
31__Texans________30.62____30___32
32__Bengals_______31.88____31___32

10-15-02. An admonition (“Swap stories and save gum wrappers. That’s what you’re here for. Glean what you can from the day; pass it along. Don’t worry that it’s too trivial or meaningless.”) and an observation (“There are times when the world seems absolutely mad, and that was one of them.”) in last weeks Bleat are the springboard for what follows.

I took the day off from work today to catch up on things left undone from my trip to North Carolina last week for work. The morning was very nice since my wife took the little ones, leaving me with my oldest to work on school together. We covered the Punic Wars, discussing the strategies of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus. Of course, we discussed Cato and the motto of one of my favorite blogs, which led us into her Latin studies. Before long, the kids were back and our time together was at an end -- she went on to geometry and I to other tasks.

First, I put our baby in the crib, then I took Sarah, age 6 and Joe, age 4, to WalMart to pick up a few things. I had made a CD of some of our favorite songs -- Joe loves Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business" and Sarah's eyes lit up when the Kate Taylor cover of Satellite Sky (by Mark Heard) came on "My favorite song -- Joe, it's my favorite song!"

~0~
It can't be easy for my children
I'm hollow before my time
It looks like a desert here to me
Where is the promise of youth for my child?

Where are the faraway kingdoms of dreams?
We've been to the moon and there's trouble at home
They vanished in the mist with Saint Nicholas
They lie scattered to the ghettos and the war zones

~0~

Then we pull into the parking lot at WalMart and I tell the kids we're going to play a game and run in a zig-zag fashion up to the door. I get out of the car first and survey the perimeter -- no Astro Vans -- before letting the kids out and making the dash for the doorway.

Our shopping done, we play the same game going back to the car. We do the same game at Radio Shack.

Then, it's on to home to clean the gutters and hook up the coax to the antennae.

At home, I take all the kids onto the roof for the first time (all except Ems, that is, who is still asleep). My wife comes out and takes pictures ("In case you ever decide to divorce me -- this way, I'll get custody of the kids"). The kids are thrilled. We live in a ranch house with a pretty flat roof -- but for them, it's like being on top of the Space Needle or the Washington Monument. The only break in the frolic is the sound of the helicopters -- was this a Lawrence Kasdan film?

Pretty soon it was time for Sarah and Joe to go to choir -- which overlapped softball. I told my wife not to worry, there would be no softball today. Soon enough, I got that phone call. The message this time, however, was that there would be no softball until the sniper was caught.

Dickens was right -- it is the best of times and the worst of times.

I want to stand out in the middle of the street and listen to the stars
I want to hear their sweet voices
I want to feel a big bang rattle my bones
I want to laugh for my children
I want the spark to ignite
before they find out what it means to be born
into these times

Why, Why, Why, I say Why, Mama, Why?
Why can't I sleep in peace tonight underneath the satellite sky?

Cover Watch. Newsweek goes with the more sensational aspect "Tarot Card Killer" Time looks at how to stop it: "The Science of Catching a Killer."

He Who Has Stalled. Leahy continues to stand in the doorway, blocking the consideration of Michael McConnell and Miguel Estrada. See this WaPo editorial taking him to task.